Questions and Answers
Most common elements of life
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur
Bonds
The connections between the atoms in a compound
Ionic Bonds
Transfer of electrons
Covalent Bonds
Polar is sharing electrons unequally, non-polar is sharing electrons equally
Hydrogen Bonds
Weak bonds between hydrogen and negatively charged items
Hydrophobic Interactions
How non-polar compounds congregate together (lipids); Can't interact with water
pH
A measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution
pH - Acid
Less than 7, donates hydrogen ions, increasing the amount of hydrogen ions
pH - Basic
More than 7, accepts hydrogen ions, decreasing the amount of hydrogen ions
pH - Blood
7.4
pH - Stomach
2
pH - Small Intestine
8
pH - Enzymes
Specific to enzyme
pH Logarithm
pH = -log[H+]; pH # = 10^# = 1/10^#
, Water Properties
Polarity, cohesion, adhesion, low density when solid, versatile solvent, high heat of
fusion/vaporization, surface tension
Polarity
Molecules having uneven distribution of charges; partial negative charges near oxygen, partial
positive charges near hydrogens
Cohesion
Attraction between molecules of the same substance (specifically water molecules)
Adhesion
Attraction to other charged substances
Low Density when solid
When water freezes, its density decreases, so it floats on the liquid
Versatile Solvent
Water's ability to dissolve more solutes than any other solvent due to polarity
Vaporization
The change of state from a liquid to a gas (water to water vapor)
High Heat of Fusion
Amount of heat energy to change water's temperature and state; water requires a lot of heat to
change temperature/state
Surface Tension
A measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid; water has a high surface
tension, which decreases as its temperature decreases
Organic Molecules
Molecules that contain carbon
Monomers
A chemical subunit that serves as a building block of a polymer; the smallest organic molecule; results
from dehydration synthesis
Dehydration Synthesis
A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a
water molecule
Polymers